Home / Sports / Undefeated De Ridder Edges Out Whittaker in Grueling UFC Clash
Undefeated De Ridder Edges Out Whittaker in Grueling UFC Clash
26 Jul
Summary
- Reinier de Ridder remains undefeated in the UFC with a split decision win over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker
- De Ridder showed impressive grappling and landed damaging knees, despite being knocked down in the third round
- Whittaker was "too tough" and the fight was a "war of attrition" across all five rounds
Reinier de Ridder remains undefeated in the UFC after a hard-fought split decision victory over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a grueling five-round affair. While de Ridder was knocked to the ground by a powerful punch from Whittaker in the third round, he showcased impressive grappling skills and landed several nasty knees to the body that appeared to hurt the former champion. The fight was a true war of attrition, with both fighters gasping for air at times. Whittaker was quick to attack early, but de Ridder countered with takedown attempts and found success in the clinch. The final scorecards had two judges scoring the bout 48-47 in favor of de Ridder, while the third judge scored it 48-47 for Whittaker. "Very close," de Ridder said after the fight. "I don't want to fight like this. This guy was too tough." The win puts de Ridder in a prime position in the middleweight division, as he awaits the outcome of the upcoming title fight between champion Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.
